Fall To Ashes
by Complexion
Summary: The flames of the Phoenix fuel the passion of it's being, the very essence of magic and life found within the truth of it's spirit. If that flame is lost, the very thing that ignites it's soul, then what does it have left? The rise and fall of the Phoenix is a tragic tale, that begins with fire, and ends with ashes.


**Hey all, sorry I've been dead for so long. I've been looking to get into the swing of things again, so I'll start with this. I simply love the interactions between Rakan and Xayah, and this idea sort of came to mind. Without further ado, I hope you enjoy!**

The forest seemed so quiet without her.

The silence chilled the Vastayan's bones to the core. It was unnatural. He was always used to hearing Xayah's footstep's lightly crossing the surface of the dirt and leaves.

He hung his head. Xayah. He would be lying if he said he wasn't worried about her. It wasn't like her to be captured. He had followed her trail into this forest, and he wasn't leaving without her.

He had followed their plan to the letter, which was more than unusual for him, but of course, that wasn't the only thing that was wrong.

It was a Noxian patrol, as far as the battle-dancer could tell. He was unsure why there were Noxian soldiers in Ionia, but it didn't matter. The only thing that mattered to him now was protecting her, from anything and everything.

And that was exactly what he had planned to do.

He picked up the pace, his legs leaping great strides, his graceful feet carrying him through the ancient forest with ease. He had to find her.

He came to the edge of the forest, the trees parting way just enough for him to peer through.

They were there, and so was she.

His eyes stretched in horror as he saw his lover in chains, her ankles and wrists clamped tightly, leaving her hanging in the air. The old stone memorial that held her chains now desecrated by Noxian magics. A single mage stood upon the stone near Xayah, preparing dark magic in the palms of his hands, the intended target being her. However, he was far from alone. Tents covered the area, as did the soldiers they belonged to.

The mage unleashed the spell, the sound of crackling even reaching Rakan's ears, as well as her screams. He gritted his teeth in anger, before charging out of the forest into the campsite.

'Xayah! I'm coming!' He cried, darting through the enemy lines, both feet finding their way off the ground as the Vastayan leapt through the air, dangerous eyes directed at the mage.

With a sudden blast of energy, the battle-dancer was thrown backwards through the air, crashing into the ground with a harsh crack. He swiftly raised himself, glaring at the mage with fierce eyes.

'A barrier, of course.' He muttered, with a snort. His pout of annoyance quickly faded into a wide smirk.

'Alright then, come on!' He challenged, surrounding himself in an aura of golden magical energy, flowing from his cloak, radiating his being. Ducking and weaving through the brutal weapons of the Noxian soldiers, before charging up the stone steps. With a cocky grin forming on his lips, the mage watched as the Vastayan approached the barrier.

The charmer braced himself, before colliding into the barrier, bursting through it, the magical essence of the shield shattering like glass.

The mage's grin dissipated into a look of shock as Rakan gripped the mage's throat in his hand, the magic from his cloak burning the mage's flesh. The mage screamed in anguish as the flames of Rakan's Vastayan blood seared into his skin. The battle-dancer glared at his opponent in disappointment.

'Is that all you've got?' He taunted, before throwing the near corpse of the Noxian back down the steps, rolling and landing at the feet of the Noxian soldiers. The soldiers looked back up at Rakan, readying their weapons.

'What are you all waiting for? Come on! I wanna see some action!' He contested, throwing his cloak back with no small amount of flair, before bending his knees, preparing for the fight ahead. He turned his head to glance at his lover, and seeing her motionless was no remedy to the anxious feeling in his mind, something which he was very unfamiliar with.

'Hold on baby, I'll be with you soon, don't give up on me.' He whispered to her, and all he could do was hope that she was conscious enough to hear him. Focusing his attention back to the approaching squadron of Noxian soldiers, he readied himself. Time to dance.

His cloak emitting another golden glow, he charged forward, spiralling into the middle of the soldiers now stomping their way up the steps. His eyes gleamed in excitement as he landed, harnessing his magic, and burst up, sending the soldiers up into the air, along with some of the stone slabs of the memorial. With a whirl of his cloak, magic seemed to tear the sky asunder, casting out a forceful ripple of energy, blasting the soldiers to the ground, slamming into the ground below with sharp cracks.

The charmer elegantly fell to the ground, landing with a small thud against the stone, bowing to a pretend audience for his performance. Snapping out of his mind's attachment to bravado, he quickly remembered the reason why he was here.

He rushed over to his lover, releasing the chains holding her. He caught her in his arms as she fell, carrying her in a bridal position, sitting down as she began coughing violently. He held her tight in his arms, resting her back against his legs.

'Rakan….' She spoke, in a hoarse whisper. Her voice was croaky and fragile, threatening to break if she spoke to loud.

'Don't worry baby, I'm here, you're gonna to be okay.' He reassured her, his voice as silky as ever. She couldn't help but smile. Even though she knew herself, it was too late.

He glanced down at her stomach, tracing over the wound with his fingertips. Xayah's face grimaced in pain, letting out hollow breaths rapidly. Rakan's brows furrowed in concern. He channelled his magic, releasing a small healing light from his palm, directing it over the wound. He was surprised to find that the wound was still the same after the spell had faded

'What…' Rakan spoke, in barely a whisper.

'Rakan… I don't… I don't think I can… make it.' She told him, staring into his eyes, her golden irises displaying signs of pain and love, but no fear.

'No, I can save you, just hold on.' He persisted, preparing the spell again. Yet again, the wound did not seem to fade. The wound itself was also black as night, and from what Rakan could tell, it was spreading, and fast. He became desperate, attempting to cleanse the wound, over and over, yet hailed no result of success.

He felt tears beginning to form in his eyes, but he didn't dare wipe them away, he wouldn't let go of her, he couldn't.

'No… no, no! Don't die on me! I can't see you die!' He cried, the tears dripping freely down his cheek, and fell onto the ground. As if the clouds themselves felt his tears, their own tears began to fall, the rain staining the stones, and landing upon both Vastayan's skin.

'I need you… You can't leave.' the charmer pleaded.

She felt tears forming in her own eyes, reaching up and cupping his cheek with her hand, using her thumb to wipe away his tears.

'Don't cry… you're a charmer, aren't you? Charmers don't cry.' She told him with a light smile, coughing again.

'Don't, this is serious Xayah!' He exclaimed.

'I thought you… didn't take… anything seriously.' She responded with a hoarse laugh, which in turn caused her to cough, blood beginning to drip down her lip.

He desperately tried healing her wounds again, but to no avail. The tears came faster now as the dark realisation echoed in his mind.

'No! Come on! I won't let you die!' He cried out in frustration, putting nearly all of his strength into the spell, channelling the power with every fibre of his being. The spell faded, but the wound wouldn't heal.

He hung his head down in shame, sniffling as the tears fell.

He had failed. He had failed her.

Seeing the sorrow clouding his eyes, Xayah wanted to comfort him, but she could feel it. Her last breaths were escaping her.

'Rakan…' She whimpered, her voice becoming weaker, gazing into his tear-streamed eyes as he lifted his to head to face her. She tried to smile as best as she could.

'It's okay… You'll be… okay.' She assured him, but she knew that he was afraid.

'No… please, don't go. Don't leave me…' The charmer begged, holding her tight.

Her cheeks became stained with tears, her vision fading.

'I love you, you know that right?'

Rakan was hesitant, before replying.

'I know, I love you too. I always will.'

Her smile was the shining sun that was absent in the cloud-filled sky above. But even the warmth of her smile couldn't ignite the flame of his soul. Not when part of his soul was leaving him.

'I'm sorry it had to… end this way, Rakan…' Her voice was raspy, and she was having difficult just trying to breathe.

He hung his head, the tears coming in waves. With a hurt-filled heart, he knew what he wanted to say, as his last goodbye to the one he loved.

'Xayah...' He began, staring into her beautiful golden eyes.

'Are you going to marry me today?'

She blinked, before her lips curved into a smile again.

'Rakan, I...' She paused, and her eyes widened in disbelief as she looked down, seeing her lover holding a small, open box, and inside, a gorgeous silver ring, decorated in a leaf-like pattern, folding around the whole ring. To her surprise, he was smiling as well.

With no doubt in her heart, she nodded, raising her hand weakly. The battle-dancer held her wrist, and gently placed the ring on her finger. She stared at it in awe, it was beautiful.

And so was she.

With every last ounce of remaining strength in her body, she pulled Rakan down, locking her lips with his. He was unprepared for such a move, but he adjusted quickly. He could taste the blood on her lips, but he didn't care. It was now he realised how much he truly loved her.

But now, it was too late.

When she finally pulled away, her hand's grasp upon his cheek began to weaken, as the light began to fade from her eyes.

'I love you.' She spoke, in barely a whisper, her voice failing, but he couldn't miss those words for the world.

Her eyes began to close, her head falling back to rest on his forearm. But her smile never ceased.

He was still for a moment, praying that the sight before him was just a dream, his mind taunting him with his worst nightmare. But the drops of rain that fell upon his body proved that his nightmare had come true.

He couldn't stop the despair from overtaking him, clutching onto her body with the faintest hope that she might awake.

But he knew that she was gone. Forever.

He held her close, feeling the absence of warmth within her body, a warmth that he himself no longer possessed.

' _XAYAH!_ ' He screamed, louder than rolling thunder, and the rain that continued to bear down on him. With no hope of control, he wept, leaving behind stains of moisture upon her blood-splattered clothes. She was really gone. He had failed her.

As the rain continued to fall, the flames of the Phoenix that had ignited the passion within his soul, had fallen to ashes, the essence of warmth and hope within, was now lost. Without her, he had lost the very thing he swore to protect.

She was gone, her soul departing. But his remained, broken and torn, longing to be with her. It was only now, that he felt truly...

Alone.


End file.
